2000
#7,426
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,138
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.53
Rare Last name
Bridgeman
An occupational surname referring to a person who maintained or guarded bridges.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,667 Americans carry the last name Bridgeman. That puts it at #7,815 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.36 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 73,442 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bridgeman surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Bridgeman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.7K
1 in 73,442
Census rank
#7,815
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,070 bearers of the surname Bridgeman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.36 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7815th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bridgeman, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.8%. The next largest groups are Black (20.2%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bridgeman
The surname Bridgeman is of English origin and dates back to the 13th century. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English words "brycg" meaning bridge and "man" meaning an attendant or keeper. The name was given to those individuals who were responsible for maintaining and overseeing bridges, which were crucial structures in medieval times.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of Yorkshire in 1273, where a certain William le Bridgeman is mentioned. The use of the prefix "le" in this early spelling indicates the occupational nature of the surname.
The Bridgeman surname is also found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where a Richard le Bridgeman is listed. This record suggests that the name was not confined to a single region but was present in different parts of England during the medieval period.
In the 15th century, the surname began to be spelled in its more modern form, as evidenced by the mention of a John Bridgeman in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in 1459.
One notable individual with the Bridgeman surname was Sir Orlando Bridgeman (1609-1674), who served as Lord Keeper of the Great Seal under King Charles II. He was born in Teddington, Middlesex, and his family had long been associated with the legal profession.
Another prominent figure was Sir Francis Bridgeman (1648-1737), an English sailor and politician who served as First Lord of the Admiralty. He was born in Greenford, Middlesex, and had a distinguished naval career before entering Parliament.
In the literary world, the name is associated with Richard Bridgeman (1532-1598), an English theologian and author of several religious works, including "A Concertation of Scripture" and "A Descant on the Apocalypse."
The Bridgeman surname also has connections to the field of horticulture. John Bridgeman (1677-1741) was a prominent gardener and landscape architect who designed several notable gardens in England, including those at Claremont House and Stowe.
Lastly, mention should be made of William Bridgeman (1779-1864), an English engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of early steam locomotives and railways. He was born in Shropshire and is credited with designing and building one of the earliest successful steam-powered vehicles.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bridgeman
Among Census respondents with the surname Bridgeman, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.8%. The next largest groups are Black (20.2%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Bridgeman bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Bridgeman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White70.8% · 2,881
- Black or African American20.2% · 824
- Two or more races4.8% · 195
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 107
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 32
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 31
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bridgeman
Bridgeman appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#7,520
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,424
+286 bearers (+6.9%)
Per 100,000 1.50
Rank movement Down 94 places
2020
#7,815
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,070
-354 bearers (-8.0%)
Per 100,000 1.36
Rank movement Down 295 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,426 | 4,138 | 1.53 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,520 | 4,424 | 1.50 | +286 bearers (+6.9%) | Down 94 places |
| 2020 | #7,815 | 4,070 | 1.36 | -354 bearers (-8.0%) | Down 295 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Bridgeman surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,520 | #7,815 | -3.9% |
| Count | 4,424 | 4,070 | -8.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.50 | 1.36 | -9.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bridgeman bearers went from 4,424 to 4,070 (-8.0% change). The surname moved down 295 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,520 to #7,815.
FAQ
Bridgeman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bridgeman?
Name Census estimates that about 4,667 living Americans carry the surname Bridgeman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 73,442 residents.
How common is Bridgeman?
Bridgeman ranks #7,815 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.36 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,070 people with the surname Bridgeman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,667), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.36 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.36 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Bridgeman.
Has Bridgeman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bridgeman went from 4,424 recorded bearers to 4,070. That is a decrease of 354 (-8.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,520 to #7,815.
What does the Census say about the background of Bridgeman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bridgeman, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.8%. The next largest groups are Black (20.2%) and Two or More Races (4.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bridgeman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 70.8% (2,881 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bridgeman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (70.8%), Black (20.2%), Two or More Races (4.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Bridgeman (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Bridgeman mean?
An occupational surname referring to a person who maintained or guarded bridges. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Bridgeman (1.36 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Bridgeman?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Bridgeman on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.